The Disproportionality Dilemma: The Relationship Between Elementary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Minority Students and Referral to Special Education

Fanslau, Carly R.

Dissertation

The Disproportionality Dilemma: The Relationship Between Elementary School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Minority Students and Referral to Special Education

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Abstract

Disparities in special education enrollment by student groups have been well documented in the United States over the last 40 years (Allen-Butler, 2019; Artiles, Kozleski, Trent, Osher, & Ortiz, 2010; Burton-Douglas, 2017; Dunn, 1968; Heller, Holtzman, & Messick, 1982; Fidishin, 2017). This quantitative, correlational, descriptive study will address the need to examine factors that contribute to the overrepresentation of minority students, specifically African-American males, in special education. Particularly, this study is interested in what extent years of teaching experience, professional development in inclusive education, multicultural education, response to intervention, and gender, age, and race, or a combination of these variables, account for variability in teacher attitudes toward minority students. To test the hypotheses and to respond to the research questions, several regression analyses were performed. To examine the relationship between teachers’ attitudes toward minority students and referral to special education, several measurements were utilized to determine which variables have an impact on teachers’ attitudes. This research study used Cochran’s Scale of Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Inclusive Classrooms, and Ponterotto’s Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey (TMAS), as well as the researcher’s own demographic profile and disproportionality questionnaire. These instruments were measured using a combination of quantitative measures to examine relationships between the dependent and independent variables. The results of the data analysis indicated that age and race did not significantly correlate to teacher referral of Black students. Gender significantly correlated with teacher referral of Black students with females having lower higher referral rates than males and gender accounted for 14.0% of the variance in teacher referral of Black students for special education. The hours of professional development in multicultural education at the graduate level were found to significantly correlate with teacher confidence in teaching students with special needs and accounted for 46.4% of variance. Collectively, hours of professional development in multicultural education [Undergraduate], inclusive education [Undergraduate], inclusive education [Graduate], multicultural education [Graduate], special education [Undergraduate], and special education [Graduate] was the best model to explain a teacher’s referral for special education of Black students and accounted for 88.9% of the variance in teacher referral of Black students. Approximately 43.6% of the variance in a teacher’s attitude toward cultural diversity and sensitivity toward student diversity was explained by the predictor variable of teachers finding their jobs increasingly rewarding as classrooms become more diverse. Approximately 50.5% of the variance in teacher’s familiarity with the process for identifying, evaluating, and placing a child in special education was explained by the predictor variables of assistive technology, in school suspension, and social emotional learning and discipline. Findings from this study confirm that Black students are referred by female teachers at a higher rate than male teachers. Additionally, this study identified that teacher preparation programs should include coursework in the areas of multicultural education, inclusive education, and special education for all individuals wishing to enter the elementary teaching profession. Lastly, the findings from this study support continued professional development in the areas of assistive technology, social-emotional learning and discipline, and in-school suspension as interventions which elementary teachers believe are effective in reducing rates of disproportionality.

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